In the third year of Xianqing (658 AD), the second day of the second month of the second month, it was not five quarters.

The Irtysh River, the river changes color, a faint Yin color. On the thirty-mile front, the Tang soldiers fought and killed the assault soldiers, the cavalry rampage, and the infantry marched step by step. The dead bodies were all over the mountains, roaring and earth-shattering, and wailing as if there were nothing.

The cavalry, which lost its mobility, was no match for the professional infantry, and was divided and surrounded and devoured. Like a lamb to the slaughter, with the churning of spears, the horse rains down. It only takes a few seconds for a living human life to become a hornet's nest. The battlefield is a meat grinder, the soldiers are beasts, and killing is instinct.

The infantry killed all red-eyed, numb stabbing spears, and mechanically wielding steel knives. Stepping on the corpses, the encirclement gradually shrank, and the Turkic troops collapsed. Those who knelt on the ground and begged for mercy with their iron spears pointed downward, and those who bumped everywhere were stabbed to death by random spears.

They worked tirelessly, and after solving the problem, they joined the nearby team. Wu Kang is mixed in it, and the Wu group is also moving forward, like a headless fly, where there are many people. Wipe the armor with the right hand, wipe the sweat from the palms, and wipe the blood of the armor.

and he who groans on the ground, set them free; Those who come to them will be sent to heaven. There is no mercy in the heart, only the difference between friend and foe, just like the walking dead, there is only killing in the heart. I don't know how long it took, the head of the gun swept left and right, and no target could be found.

The back waist was hugged, Wu Kang reflexively, shook off the restraint and turned sharply. Soon he was held again, the spear in his hand was snatched, and his potential burned automatically. grinning and biting, biting the concave iron shoulder armor, roaring hysterically, the whole person fell into madness. Throw off the bondage again and again, and re-tie it again and again until you are exhausted.

The chest rose and fell violently, panting heavily, and the pupils gradually focused, it was Chu Shenke and Qian Shun. They were so anxious that their mouths opened and closed quickly, and they could not hear what was being said. But they won't hurt me, the tense heartstrings, the slightest relaxation; Stiff muscles, inch by inch soft.

The sudden noise pierced the eardrum like an arrow, and Wu Kang was fierce again. Then the noise suddenly dropped, and the ears were blocked, and gradually relaxed and adapted. From a bloodthirsty beast to an emotional person, his eyes faded scarlet, and his vision became more and more blurred.

Tang Jun's cheers gradually stopped, and Chu Shenke tried to let go, but he didn't overreact, and he breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart. wiped the blood and sweat from his forehead, and laughed more ugly than crying: "The infantry battle is over, the Turkic cavalry fled, and General Su went into battle and led the elite cavalry to chase and kill the rout." ”

Qian Shun's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice couldn't help choking: "Big guy, relax, Lao Chu didn't lie to you, the battle of the Tuo Yu River is over." Our army won a complete victory, annihilating at least more than 10,000 enemies, and the cavalry pursued and killed, and the results of the battle still need to be expanded. If you don't believe it, look at the corpses all over the mountains, the corpses of the Turks. ”

Wu Kang continued to take deep breaths, his mind returned to clarity, and he looked at the familiar faces in front of him. Patted Qian Shun on the shoulder, gently untied the waist restraints, and turned to look into the distance. The steppe was crowded, the Tang soldiers cleaned up the battlefield, and the auxiliary soldiers rescued the wounded soldiers. The dust has settled, and it is difficult to put on a smile, open your mouth to give orders, but you can't hear a sound.

There was a foreign body blocking his throat, he reached out and pinched his throat, bent over and vomited with all his might, and spit out a large mouthful of thick phlegm. The back was lightly hammered, and his breathing began to flow smoothly, trying to make a sound. Finally able to speak, he shook his head slightly and laughed at himself, put his hands on his knees, and slowly stood up.

This place is far away from the southern plains, close to the Tuo Yu River, there is a fresh breeze blowing on the face, and it is a treasure land of feng shui. Slowly opened his mouth and instructed everyone: "Lao Chu went to Bi Zheng, counted the casualties of the two regiments, and reported it to me." You all set out to find your brother's body and bring it here for burial. ”

Everyone agreed to leave, Qian Shun took out the wine bag, and Pinglang whispered that Xiao Siye was coming here. Wu Kang turned around indifferently, there was a group of red robes on the hillside, and there was a woman in front of him, and the target was here. Too lazy to greet him, he sat directly on the ground and opened his wine bag to drink.

Yueling trotted over, saw Qian Shun's gesture, quickly covered her mouth, and stood next to her obediently. Xiao Siye approached, Wu Kang stood up, and the wine jug threw money away. He walked forward and saluted, put on a professional smile, and said unhurriedly: "Xinglong Mansion Zuo Guoyi, see Honglu Temple." ”

Xiao Siye returned the salute, seeing that he was covered in blood, he nodded slightly, and smiled sincerely: "You don't need to be polite on the battlefield, this battle has been a complete victory, and the change is great." The Western Front is solid, and the change is the first soldier, and the official will play according to the facts. ”

Wu Kang smiled lightly, and the business blew to each other: "Xiao Du protects the fallacy and praises, Wu Kang is ashamed and dare not be." The teacher strategized, your old command was well-organized, and the soldiers of the three armies used their lives to have this great victory. What I did was just to perform my duties, and I didn't dare to take any credit. ”

These words sounded comfortable, Xiao Siye held his hands and his smile was more real: "If you become too modest, you will definitely not be able to run away because of your credit." The chief manager had an order, and he commanded the generals of all provinces, registered the dead robes, and buried the corpses on the spot. After dealing with these, he changed to the military tent and waited for the chief to return. ”

The lieutenants agreed in unison and left with Xiao Siye, Li Zhichong explained well, and left with Cen Guoyi. Wu Kang turned around, subconsciously frowned, and saw that Chu Shenke was sad, followed by a stretcher. When the stretcher came closer, it was Bi Zheng who was carrying it, and he died with an arrow in his left eye.

I felt uncomfortable, so I motioned to put down the stretcher, sat beside him, and drank sullenly alone. Although he is accustomed to life and death, whenever his brother dies, his heart still hurts. After drinking the wine in the bag, he put it in his hand and waved his hand dejectedly. Surviving from the battlefield is a great blessing and you can't ask for too much.

Slowly stood up, sat down again, and looked directly at Zhao Sheng approaching. His face was ugly, and he slowly approached, Qian Shun picked up the corpse and lay it on the grass next to him. Wu Kang was silent for a long time, and said to himself: "This is Xu Zhang of the third team, who lives in Xing'anfang, Wuzhou, and is the first batch of brothers in the prosperous world. ”

Qian Shun nodded, took out a sweat towel, and wiped Xu Zhang's forehead. After tidying up his remains, Wen Yan comforted: "Brothers, eat this bowl of rice, life and death are put aside early, don't be too sad." When I returned to the capital, I sent him home and settled his family. ”

Wu Kang shook his head: "I have no sadness, I can die on the battlefield, it is the best destination." Li Chunfeng criticized me that if the crockpot is not broken from the well, the general will inevitably die in battle. Maybe one day in the future, like Xu Zhang, he will die on the battlefield. ”

Qian Shun smiled miserably, sat cross-legged in front of him, and replied without thinking: "People have misses, horses have stumbled, Li Chunfeng is a human being, and he will also look away." No matter what the future holds, I will be with you, sharing blessings and difficulties. I believe that the brothers also have this thought, what do you say? ”

Lin Pinglang bowed his head and sat next to Qian Shun, with perseverance in his eyes. Wu Kang was noncommittal, his heartstrings tightened again, he subconsciously tilted his head, and another security guard came back. He carried the corpse on his back, and Zhao Sheng and Pinglang greeted him, took care of the corpse and lay down, side by side with Xu Zhang.

With a familiar and immature face, Wu Kang said lightly: "Yang Shuoqing of the fifth team, nineteen years old this year, lives in the craftsman's workshop, my old house neighbor. I remember three years ago, I went to his house to eat, and I had two daughters, pestering me to ask for honey. ”

Chu Shenke nodded, sat beside Ping Lang, and sighed: "The statistics are out, the Wu regiment died thirty-seven times, all of them died in fierce battles." Three hundred brothers marched to the west, and eighty-two were gone, so they couldn't fight like this. They are all literate and should be captains, not guards. ”

What about the captain, who also fought on the battlefield and died in battle. Wu Kang shook his head and said lightly: "Eighty-two, how many brothers do I have, just like this." It can't be like this, when you return to the capital, let's all go home, don't eat this bowl. ”

Several people were silent at the same time, and Wu Kang, of course, got up and walked to the auxiliary soldiers in the distance. He took out the gold nugget in his bosom and stuffed it into the hands of the auxiliaries, ignoring his astonishment, and snatched the shovel from his hand. Before coming to Xu Zhangtou, the shovel shoveled into the lawn and silently dug a pit.

The people unanimously exchanged gold ingots for shovels, and dug graves to build a new home before the remains of the brothers. The Wu group came back one after another, carried back all the robes, and also exchanged money for tools. Don't wave your hands again and again, just take two gold ingots, lend enough tools, and send auxiliaries to help.

The pit was quickly dug up, and Wu Kang picked up Xu Zhang and carefully put it in. The shovel shoveled the soil, hesitated for two minutes, and covered his chest. Then quickly fill in the soil, fill in the grave pit, and scatter the remaining loess. If you don't dare to leave the grave, you will definitely not be able to keep it, and you will be disturbed by the Turks.

Before pulling out the horizontal knife and inserting it into the grave, take the helmet and wear the handle of the knife, and stand three feet away. Thirty-eight horizontal knives, thirty-eight helmets, all security guards lined up, and bowed heavily. Wu Kang took the wine bag, the wine was sprinkled on the grass, and the brothers walked all the way.

Give back the shovels, sit cross-legged, and guard their graves. Recall their information, who their names are, where they live, and keep them in mind. If you have the order to return to the capital, raise enough money to let the money go back to Wuzhou and send it to your family.

In the current situation, there is only so much that can help them. The picture flashed through my mind, in the past, I fought side by side, and I also lived and died together, and now heaven and man are separated. From the suppression of the rebellion in Wuzhou to the western expedition to the Turks, it is vivid and unbearable.

The minutes passed, and the sound of horses' hooves pulled him back to reality. Our cavalry triumphed, all covered in blood and with excitement on their faces, and it was time for a great victory. The horse team gradually stopped, and Wu Kang ran over and saluted his mentor. The teacher was sixty-five years old, and he personally wore it into battle, and his blood stained his red and white beard.

Su Dingfang looked at the sword helmet and sighed: "Don't be sad when you change, they are Tang Dynasty warriors, and they sacrificed their lives for the country, all of which are heavier than Mount Tai." Adjust your mind and come to the Chinese army's big tent to discuss the plan for the march. ”

Wu Kang hugged his fists and promised, watched the horse team leave, and heard someone shouting his name, it was Xue Li and Xue Rengui. He turned over and dismounted, returned the dou skull, stroked his mane and praised: "Sure enough, it is a divine horse, which has the same heart as me, and makes me like a tiger." To be honest with Brother Xian, I really don't want to pay you back, such a miracle, no wonder Wu Ting never forgets it. ”

The gods and horses are all floating clouds, and Dou Cheng is my brother, don't worry about it. Scratching Dou Cong's face, he said earnestly: "In my eyes, Dou Cong, a brother who was born and died, saved my life several times. If you like it, when I was an infantryman, it will still accompany you. ”

Xue Rengui smiled lightly: "I'm afraid I don't have a chance, before crossing the Tuo Yu River, I will receive urgent official documents from the imperial court." Goguryeo once again committed the border, and Cheng Mingzhen, the governor of Yingzhou, was recruiting soldiers and horses. The sage asked me to return to Beijing as the deputy general of Cheng Du to jointly crusade against Goguryeo. ”

Li Jiutai is not a thing, the teacher crusaded against the Western Turks, and gave 20,000 troops. At the critical moment of the battle, instead of sending more good generals, but transferring fierce generals, it is very unkind to you. He complained a few words in his heart, looked at Xue Rengui and asked, "The teacher is forced to stay with Brother Ren, in order to fight the Tuo Yu River?" ”

Xue Rengui shook his head: "The battle of the Tuo River is related to the overall situation of the Western Expedition, and I took the initiative to ask to stay." After this battle, the Turkic alliance collapsed, and the battle was much simpler. With the strategy of the Soviet governor, the Western Turks will perish, and there is no need for me to stay. ”

It seems to be very reasonable, Wu Kang sent his blessing: "Brother Ren will go to the lead first, win a few more battles, and behead more Goguryeo dogs." After I cut down Ashina Helu and stabilized the border of the Western Regions, we will come to the city of Pyongyang and bury Goguryeo completely. ”

Xue Rengui applauded loudly, patted Wu Kang on the shoulder, and said arrogantly: "Let's brothers, make a gentleman's agreement, and I will wait for you in Liaodong." As long as the Western Regions are swept away, the imperial court will definitely launch a war to destroy the country in Goguryeo. When the time comes, we will fight side by side, uproot the great trouble of the henchmen, and make immortal achievements. ”

Wu Kang clenched his fists and sent Xue Rengui away, carefully recalling history. It seems that two years later, that is, in the fifth year of Xianqing, Li Jiu launched a war to destroy the country. If the memory is not bad, Su Dingfang will also participate, and then follow him, and the master and apprentice will be buried in Goguryeo.

Make a great wish, go to the grave, put on your helmet, and take back the horizontal sword. After standing for a long time, he instructed Qian Shun: "I want to go to the Zhongjun tent, you stay for a while and accompany the brothers more." When leaving, shovel the lawn elsewhere and cover the loess on the grave. Let your brothers sleep forever in the place where they once guarded. ”

Everyone whispered, Wu Kang looked at Yueling, gently hooked his fingers, and pointed to the armor on his body. Yueling trotted over, ignoring the stunned thoughts of his subordinates, and skillfully removed his armor. Put on a security guard's black robe, tie a tiger head cloak, and quickly tidy up your clothes.

Wu Kang came to the river, pushed away the dead bodies in the river, and washed his face with blood water. Riding Dou Cheng left, about two quarters of an hour, to the outside of the Chinese army's big tent. Waiting for the soldiers to report, he stepped into the camp tent, and the corner of his eyes swept away, and sure enough, Xue Rengui was gone.

There are only four people in the tent, the teacher Su Dingfang, Yan Ran all protect Ren Yaxiang, Honglu Temple Qing Xiao Siye, and Hui Khan Po Yan. Salute the big guy, go to Po Yan, and bow to the end. As a Hui Khan, he helped the imperial court crusade against the Turks, and he deserved to be worshipped.

Returning to his seat, Xiao Siye spoke: "Change the town to defend the western front, fight the front line, and thwart the siege of the enemy cavalry three times. Especially the third time, when the heavy cavalry wolf soldiers retreated, they led the guards to rush out of their own formation. The iron shield covers the top of the head, and the horizontal knife cuts the horse's legs, annihilating all the wolf soldiers. ”

When the bigwigs heard this, they were all stunned on the spot, their faces full of disbelief. Wu Kang hurriedly went out of the ranks, pleaded guilty to Su Dingfang, and led troops out of the battle without permission. Su Dingfang smiled kindly and excused his beloved disciple: "The old man has not given the order to prohibit going out of battle, and there is no fault for changing it." The infantry cut off the horse's legs, which was achieved only at that time, and later it was forbidden to try. ”

Wu Kang said that he was taught, returned to his seat and sat upright, not resentful of Xiao Siye, what he said was the truth. At the beginning of the meeting, Su Dingfang said: "The cavalry chased out thirty miles, killing countless people along the way, and the Turks were defeated. According to preliminary statistics, more than 30,000 people were killed, including 300 Turkic nobles. ”

Fruitful, an absolute victory, Xue Rengui is right, the overall situation of the Western Regions has been decided. Everyone was very excited, and Ren Yaxiang said with a smile: "He Lu took the remnants of the soldiers and re-encamped in the Basihai of Qizeli. The subordinates suggested that the troops and horses should be regrouped and the victory should be pursued. ”

Lao Su smiled without saying a word, and his eyes were aimed at this side. Wu Kang pondered for a moment and said what he thought in his heart: "The five crossbows are lost and the five Lu Lu, except for the die-hard Mu Kun, are separated from He Lu Mian and Shen. Heru lost all his heavy horses, and the various departments had no scruples, and the alliance would definitely break. ”

Several people nodded at the same time, Lao Su had a long hair in his hand, Ren Yaxiang showed his face, and Xiao Siye smiled lightly: "This battle has been won a great victory, and the strategic goal has been achieved, and all departments have their own ghosts, and they will definitely fall apart." You might as well guess how the various ministries will choose, will they surrender to our army? ”

Receiving Lao Su's eyes, Wu Kang groaned, and continued: "The 130,000 coalition troops were defeated by more than 10,000 Tang soldiers, showing that He Lu was incompetent. The grassland respects the strong, and the departments are so disappointed that they will no longer trust Helu. For the sake of their respective interests, they definitely choose to surrender, but choose differently. ”

Sorting out his thoughts, he continued: "Helu ruled the Western Turks and adopted a strategy of wooing the weak and suppressing the strong. Wooing the five crossbows and suppressing the five crossbows were lost, and the two sides had deep grievances. We have set an example by saying that we will surrender to us when the five crossbows are lost. ”

Everyone thought so, and Wu Kang continued to analyze: "Our army first dealt with Mukun, and then swept away half of the rat Nishi, all of which were Wulu tribes. They don't trust us, and if they expect it to be true, they will lead their troops south and surrender to Ashina Buzhen. ”

The atmosphere was instantly depressed, and Wu Kang was so embarrassed that he wanted to slap himself. Ashina Buzhen, a dignified general, even with his name and surname, must be a big faux pas. Lao Su lowered his face, and his tone was reprimanding: "Don't be so rude, you can't have a next time." ”

Wu Kang hurriedly assured that Ren Yaxiang was round and quietly changed the topic: "The analysis of the change, I think it makes sense, the surrender of the five crossbows is obvious." We are not sure whether the five Lu will surrender or not, so it is recommended that the troops be divided into two routes. ”

Su Dingfang got up, went to the central sand table, and looked at the Evil Ross River. Based on the topography, Wu Kang quickly concluded that it was an important base in the Emin River Basin, Ashina Helu. In the Tacheng area of Xinjiang, it flows through Emin County and Yumin County, and flows into the vast Alahu Lake, in Kazakhstan.

After a long silence, Lao Su gave the order: "General Xiao and Porun Khan, immediately lead the troops and horses, go straight to the Evil Ross River, and block the retreat of the coalition army." There is no need to rush to kill them all, drive Wulu south, and force them to surrender Buzhen. ”

The two received the order and promised, left the big tent of the Chinese army, and reorganized their own troops and horses. There were only three people left in the tent, and the silence was terrible, Ren Yaxiang whispered: "General Su's meaning, we will stay and surrender when the five crossbows are lost." Integrate the five divisions, set off from the north, and smash the leaves and water? ”

Su Dingfang nodded, frowned again, was silent for a long time, and said lightly: "Stay for two days temporarily, if the five crossbows are lost, then make other plans." Please go back, count the casualties, and inspect the barracks on my behalf. ”

Ren Yaxiang left, came to Su to look at the sand table, and entered a state of selflessness. Wu Kang followed the line of sight and saw that it was the Golden Tooth Mountain of the Helu base, that is, the Kadan Mountain. Referring to the terrain of the sand table, combined with the memory in his head, he quickly looked confused. There is Tokmak, and Bishkek in the west is the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Lao Su had a fast appetite, and Wu Kang didn't dare to disturb him, tiptoeing to pour tea. Su Dingfang suddenly came back to his senses, picked up the teacup and sipped it slightly, and suddenly solemnly said: "Xiao Siye and Po Yan left, but it can be of great use, only you and Ren Yaxiang." From today onwards, follow me, and you will still charge, are you ready? ”

Wu Kang hesitated for a few breaths, his eyes flashed with longing, and he nodded decisively, my big knife was already hungry and thirsty. The master and apprentice looked at each other and smiled, Su Dingfang held the teacup in his left hand, and suddenly stretched out his right hand, pointing directly at the Broken Leaf City by the water...